Flexible hose



Al1g- 21, 1962 J. GREcz-IN 3,049,901

FLEXIBLE HOSE Filed April l, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGA. /Z

- may INVEN R2 JOHN GREC ATTYS.

Aug. 21, 1962 J. GREczIN FLEXIBLE HOSE Filed April l, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENToR: JOHN GRECZIN AT-rvs. l

United States Patent Office 3,649,961 Patented Aug. 2l, 1962 3,049,961 FLEXIBLE HGSE John Greczin, Philadelphia, Pa., assigner, by mesne assignments, to Singer-Fidelity, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 1, 1960, Ser. No. 19,403 4 Claims. (Cl. 66--190) The present invention relates to flexible hose of the type which is reinforced by tubular knitted fabrics, and is directed particularly to a tubular knit reinforcing having one or more additional reinforcing elements incorporated into the knitted fabric.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a hose of the stated type which has exceedingly high burst strength provided by additional reinforcing elements incorporated into the tubular knit reinforcing fabric in a novel manner.

The present invention provides a fabric having the improved burst strength without a substantial increase in production cost, and also prevents the hose from swelling.

The present invention also provides a reinforcing fabric construction which affords a wide variation in the character of the additional reinforcing element.

More specifically, the present invention provides a tubular knitted fabric composed of individual mutually overlying knitted webs having incorporated therein a reinforcing strand interlaced with the webs to provide a smooth front and back face in the reinforcing fabric.

All of the objects of the invention are more fully set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a view showing a section of transparent plastic hose containing a tubular knitted fabric according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in elevation more clearly illustrating the construction of the reinforcing fabric in the hose;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on lthe line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a developed View of the fabric separated from the hose and split longitudinally to lie flat; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 of a modified fabric embodying the present invention.

With reference to the drawings, and particularly FIGS. 1 to 4 thereof, the hose 10 illustrated therein comprises a plastic body 11 having a reinforcing fabric 12 embedded therein. The fabric 12 is composed of two tubular webs knitted from separate yarns and on separate sets of needles. In the cylinder or cylinders, the needles are arranged so that those of one set alternate with those of the other set. Consequently, the wales of one web alternate with the wales 30 of the other web about the circumference of the composite fabric.

In the present instance, each web of the composite fabric is formed on two feeds so that in each wale, there are wale loops formed of alternate yarns. The web having the wales 20 is formed o-f two yarns 21 and 22 which are formed into knitted loops 23 and 24 respectively. The connecting runs 25 and 26 respectively between the wale loops in the web engage in the wales of the other web as more fully set forth hereinafter. The web having the wales 30 is formed of two yarns 31 and 32 respectively forming Wale loops 33 and 34 and connecting runs 35 and 36 respectively.

In the present instance, the webs are knit with the wale loops disposed on the rear face of the fabric and the connecting runs on the front face of the fabric. As shown in the drawings, the connecting runs of each adjoining pair of wales of each web in any one course, follow a path passing in front of the wale loop of the intervening wale of the other web and are knit in a manner to intersect the connecting runs of the other web diagonal to the coursewise direction of the respective webs.

In accordance with the invention, additional reinforcing strands are incorporated into the composite fabric to provide additional burst strength to the fabric without disturbing the smooth contour provided on the back and the front face of the fabric composed of the two interknit webs. To this end, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, reinforcing strands 41 and 42 are laid into the composite fabric between the front and back faces thereof. 'Ihe strands 41 and 42 pass in front of each wale loop it traverses, and behind the connecting yarn runs. The strand 41 passes in front of the knitted loops 33 of the webs having wales 30 and follows a path coursewise of said web coincident with the paths of the connecting runs 35 in said course so that it passes in front of the Wale loops 23 of the other web and behind the diagonal connecting runs 25 of the other web throughout the fabric. The reinforcing strand 42 passes in front of the wale loops 34 in one course of the web having wales 30 and follows the paths of the connecting yarn runs 36 of said course to thereby pass in front of the wale loops 24 of the other web and behind the diagonal connecting runs 26 of the other web.

When the construction of FIGS. 1 to 4 embodies an open knit as shown, the reinforcing strands 41 and 42 may follow a straight helical path throughout the hose. Since the path of the reinforcing strands 41 and 42 are devoid of kinks, loops, and the like, this construction enables the use of metallic reinforcing strands such as wire or other strands which may be strong in tension but weak in shear. The use of such strands may also be desirable for other purposes than increasing the burst strength of the hose. For example, metallic s-trands may be desired to be incorporated in the hose for shielding elfects, and the present invention therefore enables the shielding wire to be incorporated in the reinforcing fabric concurrently with the knitting thereof to eliminate the necessity for an additional operation of applying the shielding material to the hose.

Where it is desired to have a more compact reinforcing fabric, the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 may be utilized. The fabric 50 illustrated therein is similar to the fabric 12 in that it is a composite of two separate webs each formed on two feeds. In this fabric, four reinforcing strands are embodied in the fabric. The wales 60 of the first web alternate with the wales 70 of the second web. The yarns 61 and 62 of the iirst web are formed into wale loops 63 and 64 and connecting runs 65 and 66 respectively. The yarns 71 and 72 of the second web are formed into wale loops 73 and 74 and connecting runs 75 and 76 respectively. The two webs are interknit as described above in connection with the fabric 12 so that the connecting runs of the webs intersect each other on lines diagonal to the course-wise direction thereof.

The fabric 50 embodies reinforcing strands 81, 82, '91 and 92. The strand 81 passes in front of the wale loops 63 in one course of the first web and follows the paths of the connecting yarn runs 65 of said course to pass in front of the wale loops 74- of the second web and behind the diagonal connecting runs 76. The reinforcing strand S2 passes in front of the wale loops 64 of the rst web, and follows the paths of the connecting yarn runs 66 to thereby pass in front of the wale loops 73 of the second web and behind the diagonal connecting runs of said second web. In a similar manner, the reinforcing strand 91 passes in front of the wale loops 73 in one course of the second web and follows the paths of the connecting yarn runs '75 of said course to thereby pass in front of the wale loops 63 and behind the diagonal connecting runs 65 of the iirst web. The reinforcing strand 92 passes in front of the Wale loops 74 in one course of the second web and follows the paths of the connecting yarn runs 76 of said course to pass in front of the Wale loops 64 of the first web and behind the diagonal connecting runs 66 of said first web. Although FIG. 5 shows ythe reinforcing strands with kinks or bends so that the strands, 81 and 91, for example, approach and recede from one another, in practice, the Wale loops are knit suliciently long to permit the strands to remain straight and parallel to one another Without kinks or bends.

The use of four reinforcing strands in the reinforcing composite fabric provides a much denser fabric, and when using relatively thick yarns, produces the appearance of a braided fabric rather than a knitted fabric. In many cases, it may be desired to dispose the reinforcing fabric of FIG. 5 on the exterior of the hose to serve as a fabric covering for the hose, rather than embedding the fabric within the body portion of the hose as shown in FTGS. 1 and 3.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to fabrics embodying two and four reinforcing strands, it is apparent that other embodiments of the invention are possible to satisfy any given requirements. Changes and modifications may be made in and to the specific embodiments illustrated and described herein Without departureV from the present invention as defined in the appended claims:

I claim:

1. A reinforced flexible hose comprising a tubular hose body and a tubular knitted fabric surrounding said body, said fabric being made up of separate individual mutually overlying knitted webs relatively arranged so that the wales of one Web lie in parallel alignment with and within the spaces between the wales of the other web, the Wale loops of both webs being disposed in the back face of the fabric, the yarn runs connecting the loops of each adjoining pair of Wales of each web in one course following a path in the front face of the fabric passing in front of the loop of the intervening Wale of the other web so that in the spaces between the wales of said fabric, the connecting yarn runs of the webs intersect on lines diagonal to the said coursewise direction, and a reinforcing strand passing in front 4of the Wale loops in one course of one web and following the paths of the connecting yarn runs of said course to pass in front of the Wale loops of the other web and behind the diagonal connecting runs of said other web whereby said reinforcing strands are incorporated into the fabric intermediate its front and back faces with an absence of kinks, loops, and the like.

2. A reinforced exible hose according to claim 1 wherein there is a. reinforcing strand passing in front of .the Wale loops in each course of one web so that there is a reinforcing strand in front of each Wale loop.

3. A reinforced flexible hose according to claim 1 wherein said reinforcing strand is formed of metallic Wire.

4. A reinforced flexible hose according to claim 1 wherein there is a separate reinforcing strand following the path of the connecting yarn runs of each course of each web whereby each Wale loop has two reinforcing strands passing in front thereof, said two strands passing in front of different Wale loops in the adjacent Wale of the fabric.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,264,213 Larkin Nov. 25, 1941 2,870,619 Greczin Jan. 27, 1959 2,921,457 Evans v Ian. 19, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 543,999 Germany Feb. 12, 1932 911,321 Germany May 13, 1954 

